Running in Form
by Lorial
Summary: Old nightelf friends, and druid partners, Tiradis and Kiyara come to a rest in Ashenvale. But trouble brews as Tiradis is far too afraid to admit his love for his partner.
1. Midnight Rest

Dawn quickly made its approach over the sky in the great forest in Ashenvale. As many night elves prepared to head home before dawn, two approached a small wooden house within the town of Astranaar. The larger of the two, a male night elf, opened the door and gave a small smile towards his partner, a female, "It feels good to be home once more."

"For you perhaps, Tiradis," the female responded as she entered his home and settled her bags upon the floor of the main room, which had wooden benches and chairs to sit on and a library full of books, "but my home is within Darnassus."

"That may be true, but for now you are able to sleep within the spare bedroom upstairs, Kiyara."

Small smiles were exchanged once more before Tiradis clasped the handle of the main door once more and added, "Unpack your things and get comfortable. I will see if the local food vendor has anything that I can make a meal with." He didn't wait for her to acknowledge the fact that he was leaving. Instead, the male proceeded out of the house and made his way to the local inn, which resided a few yards away, and allowed the female her privacy as she would surely want to change clothes and relax.

As he walked under one of the large and vibrant trees within the town, something fell on his head, something hard. The elf winced as he looked down at the item that has just hit him, a rock. Eyes now moved upwards to see what had thrown that and the answer swung downwards with laughter in her eyes. "So, you and sis are back."

Tiradis took a few steps away from the young elf that was hanging upside down from the tree branch by her legs to greet him. She looked so much like her sister Kiyara, her skin the most lovely shade of plum with deep violet hair and facial markings to match. Unlike her older sister though, this elf had cut her hair short for reasons which remained unknown to him, her mouth was hidden behind a bandana that the Defias Brotherhood usually wore, and she lacked the grace and subtlety that most elves honored.

"Yes, your sister and I are back, Lynestria. Why are you not in the human lands? I thought you called that place home now with those Defias bandits?" Tiradis asked with a raised elongated brow.

The question went unanswered as Lyn reached down and grabbed at his sky blue hair playfully, tugging at the neat ponytail that he kept, "And where is she? You hiding her from me, Windsong?"

Tiradis swatted the female's hand away. "She is settling into the bedroom that I had given her for the night." He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he added, "at least with her I am able to trust that my belongings will still be within my home in the morning, unlike others ..."

"Oh, you mean me?" Lynestria asked as she swung herself upwards and grabbed the tree branch with her hands, re-adjusting herself so that she was sitting upright once more. "Hey, that's how you seperate a good rogue from a bad one." A playful look appeared in her eyes as she then asked, "So, when are you going to tell my sister?"

"Tell her what?" Tiradis asked.

The female elf tilted her head to the side a bit as she added, "You're so thick headed, Tira ..." Pulling down the bandana for a moment, she added, "that you love her."

The male elf's eyes widened as though he were staring at some horrific sight before him. "Lynestria, this is not your concern. Go back to Azeroth where you belong." Brow lowering, he shook his head. "Your sister is a partner of mine, a druid like myself."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that Tira ..." Lynestria stood on the branch and clung to the trunk of the tree as she slowly made her way out of his sight, fading into the approaching darkness. But even as she did, her voice was still strong and audible, "At this point, she deserves so much better than you."

Anger now struck Tiradis as he continued to look up at the trees. When she faded from sight, his hands clenched into tight fists. "Do not run away from me, rogue, I am addressing you!" He paused for a moment, listening and watching for any signs of life within those trees, but heard none. "If you do not wish to make yourself seen, then I will just have to find you then." If there was something that he hated more than anything in the world, it was the disappearing act that rogues always did.

The male released his hands and closed his eyes for a moment. Slowly, a feline image took over his elven one and he gazed up at the trees once more, but with new sight. The dark panther let out a loud growl, a warning to the rogue that she had better show herself at once. When there was still no response, he settled back on his haunches, and prepared himself to ...

"Tiradis!"

Ears flattened as he heard Kiyara's voice approach. He hesitated before daring a glance backwards towards her and saw her dressed within a nightgown and already on her knees by his side. As her hand gently landed on his head to pet and settle him, a low purring sound escaped from his mouth and his eyes closed.

Kiyara looked upwards at his subject and narrowed her eyes as she saw that he was looking for. "By Elune's grace, are you trying to have Tiradis attack you, Lynestria?!" She shook her head, "you cannot hide from your sister, show yourself."

There was a sound of an exasperated sigh as the younger of the two females jumped down from the trees and crossed her arms in front of her chest in a sulk, "Jeez, I was just having some fun, Kiy. I haven't picked on him in ages."

"Well, do not start now. We are staying here for a week before we are going to Feralas." Kiyara let out a small sigh but then smiled at her younger sister, "Perhaps you would like to set things on the right foot with us while we are to be here?" Looking down, she saw Tiradis with his head in her lap and his eyes still closed. "We are both very tired, Lyn. Maybe you can stop by tomorrow to see us?"

Lynestria shrugged carelessly, "Yeah, sure, if you want." Her eyes too looked down at Tiradis, and she muttered something darkly in Darnassian under her breath, "So that's how you win all the guys, isn't it?" A smirk appeared underneath that bandana, "I'd like to see you try that in the human lands. Don't think you'd get the same response."

"Perhaps if they have had enough to drink ..."

Tiradis's feline eyes opened and looked upwards at Kiyara as he let out a gruff sound. If he were able to speak in this form, she would have known that he didn't approve of what she had just said. But in typical fashion, Kiyara took to scritching him underneath the chin, and he soon forgot what he was protesting about.

"Stop by tomorrow, Lyn. Tiradis and I should get some sleep." Kiyara smiled towards her sister just before the young elf disappeared once more into the trees.


	2. Water and Lavendar

Evening washed over the village of Astranaar. Birds sang beautiful songs, pleased that they survived another another day as they wished each other a good night through song. Many of the local residents of the village either still slept past the golden light filtering through the windows of their houses, or were just being lulled awake from the passing of the warm rays, soon to relish in Elune's graceful light.

One that was already awake was Tiradis, who had learned to wake with the golden colored light of the setting sun. The young night elf druid stretched his arms above his head as he made his way towards a nearby waterfall, a place in which he could wash himself and allow the cold water to awaken him.

As he tread down the now naturally formed path that has come from to many walking to the waterfall over the span of hundreds of years, a content sigh escaped his lips. No other villager was in sight or made their way to the falls yet. For perhaps once in the long months that he had been away from his home, he would be able to bathe there in the falls alone in privacy.

When his barren feet came to the edge of the water, the elf gazed out at the water and saw no beings in sight. Hope caught in his throat as he began to remove articles of clothing and took one step inside the cold waters of the falls.

At that moment, another figure surfaced gracefully through the water and tossed her long purple locks back behind her. Beads of water were fixed to her plum colored skin and her silver eyes then opened and gazed at the other elf. A smile crossed her face as she saw Tiradis standing with one foot in the water and how he was only clad in his underwear. "I suppose I beat you here, Tiradis."

Instantly Tiradis withdrew his foot from the water and turned away from the nude female, closing his eyes for a moment as he inwardly winced to himself. "Yes, you did, Kiyara." Still refusing to look at her, he bowed before the female while eyes remained closed and offered, "I shall leave you alone and return later."

Kiyara's face sobered as she heard his words. Bobbing under the water to cover herself up to her neck, she swam towards him and managed to take a hold of one of his hands before he retreated entirely. "You do not have to go, Tira." A smile crossed her face as she went on, "You wished to bathe here this morning, so you should."

The male elf's mouth fixed itself in a frown as he looked down at his taken hand. When his partner's proposition was heard, a lump formed in his throat. There was hesitation in his voice, but he didn't pull away from her just yet. "Kiyara, I am sure that you wish to have your privacy. I do not mind waiting until you are finished here."

She shook her head and tugged a bit at his hand, "Oh, come now. Maybe I wish to have the company of another with me?"

Tiradis hesitated for a while longer before giving into the female elf's tugging and entered the water, still clad in his clothing, despite what little there was. Kiyara smiled at him as she waded in the direction of the falls, "You cannot honestly tell me that you wish to bathe while you are still clothed, Tiradis!"

"I do not mind it," he managed to get out.

"Tiradis ..." Kiyara started before she swam close to him, abandoning what little distance there was between the two druids. "Come now, I'm wearing nothing." A smile formed on her face as she gazed upwards at him and pressed her bare body against him in a hug. "At least let your hair out of the ponytail, will you?"

Tiradis visibly stiffened as she came close and hugged him. If his natural skin tone weren't already purple, he would show reddened cheeks. "Yes, I guessed that much, Kiyara." Daring a look downwards at her, he saw how the morning light, mixed with the water, made her skin glisten, and for a moment his eyes moved ever downwards towards her chest before they retreated. "I – I am fine. I really do not mind being a gentleman and waiting for you to finish."

A slender hand reached upwards and glided lightly against his jawline, leaving a trail of water behind it. "What's wrong, Tiradis? Am I doing something wrong?"

"No ..." Tiradis said as his own hand moved upwards to take a hold of hers. "You are doing nothing wrong, Kiyara."

Now the hesitation was on her part as she continued to gaze upwards at him with her silver eyes, "Do you not like me?"

Golden eyes widened in response to her question as Tiradis shook his head rapidly, feeling the uncomfortable lump form in the back of his throat once more, "No, Kiyara. You are a great ally and a formidable druid." He paused before adding, "If I did not like you, would I continue to be your partner after so many years?"

Withdrawing her hand, a frown formed on Kiyara's face once more. "A formidable druid, is that all?" Eyes still fixed on his, she now leaned upwards towards him and whispered, "Are you sure that there is nothing more to us than just partners, Tiradis Windsong?"

Not only was the lump in the back of his throat getting the best of him at the moment, but the sudden quickening beat of his heart was as well. Despite this, Tiradis leaned away from Kiyara as she leaned in towards him and whispered those words. "Kiyara Shao'lar ..." But those were the only words that the male elf was able to choke out before he closed his eyes once more and pushed her away from him. In their native tongue of Darnassian, he stated, "I cannot do this," and made his way to swimming out of the water, leaving the female elf alone at the falls.


End file.
